bribery of the finest kind
by Pencilwalla
Summary: In a misguided attempt to convince Shark to attend the sports duel tournament, Yuuma shows up at his place in a swimsuit, and nothing else. Sharkbait ensues. [episode tag to Zexal II Episode 8: Kotori Xyz Changes! The Tumultuous Sports Duel Tournament].


"Oh, a sports duel tournament? And you want Ryoga to participate?"

"Yeah! It'll be fun."

"Hmm." Rio cocked her head, and then she stuck her head out of her room and checked to see that Ryoga was still brooding alone in his. Then she shut the door. "Yuuma, are these activities going to include…say…volleyball? Swimming? Water polo?"

"Heh?"

"I was just thinking…I don't know if I can make Ryoga come." That was a lie. Of course she could, if she really wanted to. "But, if you were to come over…in a swimsuit…and try and convince him…he might agree."

"A swimsuit…?" Yuuma considered this. "Yeah! That's a good idea! Shark must like to swim, right?"

"Oh, yes," That wasn't even a lie. Ryoga did like to swim, even if people did make obnoxious shark jokes when he did. It was just that his love of swimming had absolutely nothing with why she wanted Yuuma to come over in a swimsuit. Yuuma was oblivious, of course, and hadn't noticed the staring, or the sighing, or the gross pining.

He'd thank her later.

"Great! Shingetsu, let's go now!"

"I know a shortcut!"

The phone clicked as Yuuma hung up, and Rio lay back and waited. She was pretty sure she'd hear when Yuuma came over.

Headphones clamped firmly over his ears, Ryoga sat on the floor of his bedroom, book in hand (it was the dust jacket of a serious novel, which he had in fact read and enjoyed, but the book it was covering was actually an embarrassing gay period romance that he had been hiding from his sister for three weeks).

The music was turned all the way up, and so he didn't know Yuuma had come in until he landed on him.

"Shark!"

And he was…oh god, was he naked?! Ryoga flailed, not sure what to do with his hands, Yuuma's bare chest shoved directly onto his face, until his fingers brushed fabric and he realized with a mix of disappointment and relief that he was in swimming trunks.

Wait, why was Yuuma in his bedroom in swimming trunks?

:Get off," he grunted, and Yuuma sat up so that he was straddling his hips. Ryoga forced himself up so that he was sitting, hoping that that would get Yuuma off him, but all that did was make it so that Yuuma was sitting in his lap, legs open and on either side of his waist, looking extremely excited. And he wasn't wearing a shirt, and it was a little distracting.

(More than a little.)

Yuuma leaned in, so that he was close. He was grinning. "Shark! We're having a sports duel tournament! You're going to come, right?"

"No." There was no way he was going to be dragged into spending the day with Yuuma's friends at some ridiculous tournament.

"Please? Playing sports together will strengthen our bonds!"

"No, Yuuma."

Yuuma grabbed him by the shoulders, and he was so close Ryoga could feel his breath on his face, and his cheeks warmed as he blushed and fuck, why was Yuuma still on top of him?

"But Shaaaaaark," Yuuma pouted. "We'll have Tag Duels! Tag Duels!"

"I…" Their noses touched. Ryoga jerked back, and he toppled backwards, and then Yuuma pitched forward and –

– _they kissed_ –

"Mmph," Ryoga managed, Yuuma's mouth still over his, his hands still clinging to his shoulders, his weight still pressed against his chest and hips and thighs. His fingers dug into his shirt, and Ryoga realized that he was holding onto Yuuma, was touching bare shoulder blades and could feel the bumps of his spine.

When they finally broke apart, there was a solid stripe of red across Yuuma's nose.

"…you're gonna come, right?"

It took Ryoga several long, confused seconds to remember what they were talking about, and to not take that sentence in the filthiest way possible, and then all the blood in his body rushed to his face and Yuuma was just sitting on him still, and he could only manage a few syllables.

"Yeah, whatever," he said. Yuuma beamed, and got up.

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow!" He ran out of the room, even as Ryoga sat up on his elbows. The wind was knocked out of him, and his mind was full of confused thoughts, like _'he has a nice butt'_ and _'what the hell is a sport duel tournament'_ and _'wait, how did he get in?'_

"RIO!"

"You're welcome!"

"I'm going to put cats in your bed," he spat, and all he got was a laugh. He touched his tingling mouth, still fuming with embarrassment and red with pleasure, and slumped back down on the floor. Maybe he'd just lie here for the rest of the day, and the night, and relive the moment.


End file.
